Chuck vs The Nightclub
by sdchuckfan
Summary: Follows the events from Chuck vs. The Intersect. Can Chuck beat Sarah at her own game? Chuck/Sarah. Kinda fluffy.
1. Chapter 1: Worries, worries

_Recap: It's been 4 weeks since Chuck successfully deactivated the beta intersect before it was able to launch U.S. missiles at heavily populated Chinese targets. Along with saving everyone from the next world war, he was able to hear what he had wanted to hear: Sarah's confirmation of her feelings for him. The situation had seemed to reverse itself for Chuck; originally facing a termination order, he was now enlisted as a special agent for the CIA. As if that wasn't enough to turn his world around, he was also ordered to move in with Sarah in order to further protect him._

* * *

It's early Thursday morning at the Bartowski home and Chuck was sitting on a stool, hunched over the kitchen counter. He was deep in thought, slowly stirring his fruit loops while trying to wrap his head around the newest kink in his life: moving in with Sarah.

Not that it wasn't a pleasant thought; it was just that they've only been secretly going out for the last few weeks even though to everyone else they've been going out since around his birthday months ago.

"Good morning, Chuck!"

He looked up to see the smile of his caring sister Ellie. "Hey sis, good morning to you too. Just back from work?"

"Yeah, luckily not much went on." Ellie grabbed an apple from the fridge and joined Chuck, facing him on the other side of the counter.

"So, big day coming up huh?"

"What do you mean? Your wedding is still months away."

"No, Chuck. The day you move in with Sarah. For a nerd, I thought the idea of having a girlfriend, let alone moving in with one, would be a momentous thing."

"Ah, yes. The move in. Woohoo, can't wait!" Chuck said with a little bit of sarcasm in his voice.

"I know. I can't believe that my own brother is moving out into the real world"

_If you only knew Ellie. Not the real world, spy world._

"And the best thing is that you'll only be a few minutes away from me and Devon."

"Well I wouldn't want to miss out in all the "awesome" things he's been doing. Besides, how can I move too far away from my favorite sister?"

"I know, who would have thought it was so easy to find a nice place so nearby? It took Devon and I weeks to get this place."

_Easy? Sarah and I went to fourteen different apartments only to have either the CIA or NSA reject it for differing reasons. Too close to known felons. Too high up. Too easy access. Finally they agreed on a two bedroom, two bath place just a few minutes down the street._

"You're right sis, easy. I guess fate must've been on our side." Chuck let out a sigh and looked back down at his cereal as if it were a crystal ball.

"Ok, what's going on with you Chuck?" Just as Ellie asked, Sarah in her Wienerlicious outfit walked in the front door which she forgot to close. Ellie nodded and Sarah gave a little wave. They both looked down at Chuck, noting that he seemed to have not noticed her arrival.

Sarah motioned to Ellie to continue as if she wasn't there. Ellie understood and continued, "Don't try to hide from me. It's on your face plain as day."

"Fine, I've just been thinking about me and Sarah. That's all." A worried look came over Sarah's face and Ellie gave her a look telling her to calm down.

"It's just that…don't you think that Sarah is a lot out of my league?"

"What are you talking about Chuck?"

"I mean, Sarah's like a team in the major leagues while I'm still just a high school junior varsity team. I sometimes get the feeling that she might be more than I deserve."

Sarah's face lit up from hearing Chuck's words. She never thought of herself as being better than him. If anything, she was worried that Chuck might be lowering his standards by sharing his affections with someone like her, an agent. But somehow, he still was able to look past what she's done and see something he liked in her.

"Not this again" Ellie remarked, shaking her head.

"Again?"

"Didn't we have this conversation already when you were going out with Jill?"

Chuck realizing this looked up, "I guess we did."

"Ok, repeating myself. Charles Bartowski you are a good man. You're funny, caring, and smart. Except for dumb times like these where you question your value. Any woman would be lucky to have someone like you."

"Thanks but it still doesn't support your case that Jill still got taken from me by Bryce."

"And you're worried now that Sarah will be taken away just like Jill?"

Sarah looked into Ellie's eyes and shook her head aggressively, hoping that she understands the impossibility of that happening.

"Chuck. Sarah's not like Jill. I can see a sparkle in her eyes showing how deeply in love she is with you; that same sparkle wasn't in Jill's. Besides, I always felt that you and Jill were more like buddies rather than a couple."

"And Sarah and I aren't buddies?"

"No Chuck, buddies don't radiate the feelings of affection for each other like you and Sarah do."

Sarah was now blushing. She never had a person like Ellie in her life, a sister willing to stand up and defend her. And just like a sister, she understood what she was feeling better than she did. _I guess being able to sense other's feelings runs in the family._

"Really?"

"Yes Chuck, really."

Chuck couldn't help but smile, Sarah was admittedly the best thing to happen to him. Chuck thought back to the time after the whole beta intersect business. Sarah had admitted that she had feelings for him and soon after they agreed to start dating for real.

He thought back to their first date where he took her to the beach where they met after he defused the bomb. The first bomb, not the fake second one with Bryce in it.

"So what are we doing here Chuck? You're not going to make me re-enact our last visit here and make me ask you to trust me?"

"No, no. You already know that I trust you. I wanted to spend time with you here. This place kind of has a special meaning to Ellie and me."

Sarah raised an eyebrow.

"Before our parents left us, they would take us here for the whole day and mom would bring us a picnic basket." Just then Sarah realized that Chuck had brought them a basket as well.

"This place was one of the last places that we were all happy as a family." Now Sarah realized what Chuck was doing. He was opening himself up, sharing himself with her. This was the place of some of his happiest memories and now he was trying to make new memories with her in the same place. She looked up and smiled at Chuck.

"Well, onto the main event of the night." Chuck pulled out a laptop from his bag and plugged in his wireless internet card. Going back through his bag, Chuck pulled out a pair of speakers and plugged them in.

"I realized that you don't know what type of music you like." Sarah looked at him confused. "Unless, you made that fact up on our first date and you choice of music is a matter of national security." Laughing, Sarah shook her head.

"So that's what we're going to do today. I have my extensive music collection here and what I don't have I can download from the internet. Get ready because I'm going to go through each genre and we'll work our way down to the ones you like."

Sarah was taken aback. She totally forgot that she let him know that truth about herself; she really didn't know what music she liked since she was constantly on the go to the next mission.

And although she didn't let anyone know, she always had felt a little left out when the topic of pop culture came up in conversation. Now here he is, helping her feel part of his world. _This is so Chuck-like, observing something that others would've missed or disregarded and doing something so sweet with it. No way would Bryce have ever have done something like this._

Chuck had started out with U2, then onto some Coldplay. She liked both but had given the big no when he switched things up and put on Flo Rida. They went on like this for a couple hours; Chuck would put on a song and gauge her reaction to it. Then he would put on his favorite songs and tell her why he liked it and what it meant to him.

Finally, after they listened to dozens of songs and ate more sandwiches than they care to realize, Chuck turned around and grabbed an IPod out of his bag. He attached it and downloaded the songs. When it was done, he handed it over to Sarah.

With a confused look on her face, Sarah asked "What is this for?"

"I thought it was obvious. My present to you; a collection of the music you like and provided in a way that you won't forget any of them. I'm sorry that it's not a more expensive gift like it should've been considering how many times you've saved me."

Sarah couldn't hold back the tears forming in her eyes. "No Chuck, this is the most precious this anyone has given me. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world." Sarah looked at the little gift and brought it close to her heart.

They finished the night hugging each other while watching the waves crash along the shore.

Snapping back to the moment at hand, Chuck looked up and saw his sister leaning across from him with a smile on her face.

"Good. Onto number two."

"What do you mean?"

"Your second problem."

"How do you know I have another problem?" Chuck looked up to see Ellie's face looking right at his. "Ok, fine. I'm just a little apprehensive about the move."

Sarah's head now turned and was looking right into the back of Chuck's. _I thought this was what he wanted. Although it was ordered by Beckman, he seemed happy when we were looking around at apartments like normal people._

"What's there to be afraid of?"

"There are some things about Sarah that you don't know about" Chuck replied. Instantly Sarah snapped up. _No, no, no Chuck. You know you can't let her know anything of our undercover life. You'll be endangering her and the both of us._

"Some things that I didn't want to tell you till now about Sarah and the things I've seen when I'm with her."

Sarah was about to speak up but was stopped by Ellie who shook her head, indicating that it was alright and to let him continue.

_No, Ellie. You don't understand what he's going to tell you about me._ Of all the people in Chuck's life that Sarah has met, the one she wanted to impress the most was his sister Ellie. She was successful in her career, as well as in her personal life. She was dedicated to her job as a doctor but didn't let it interfere with her life with her fiancée and her brother. Ellie was the type of person Sarah wished she could be. But in one sentence, Chuck could take that all away. _Why was he doing this?_

"You see Ellie, Sarah…" She held her breath.


	2. Chapter 2: The Challenge

_Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck._

_A/N: Sorry for the wait. Had a problem where I thought my computer deleted the whole thing. Enjoy._

"Your second problem."

"How do you know I have another problem?" Chuck looked up to see Ellie's face looking right at his. "Ok, fine. I'm just a little apprehensive about the move."

Sarah's head now turned and was looking right into the back of Chuck's. _I thought this was what he wanted. Although it was ordered by Beckman, he seemed happy when we were looking around at apartments like normal people._

"What's there to be afraid of?"

"There are some things about Sarah that you don't know about" Chuck replied. Instantly Sarah snapped up. _No, no, no Chuck. You know you can't let her know anything of our undercover life. You'll be endangering her and the both of us._

"Some things that I didn't want to tell you till now about Sarah and the things I've seen when I'm with her."

Sarah was about to speak up but was stopped by Ellie who shook her head, indicating that it was alright and to let him continue.

_No, Ellie. You don't understand what he's going to tell you about me._ Of all the people in Chuck's life that Sarah has met, the one she wanted to impress the most was his sister Ellie. She was successful in her career, as well as in her personal life. She was dedicated to her job as a doctor but didn't let it interfere with her life with her fiancée and her brother. Ellie was the type of person Sarah wished she could be and hopefully one day be able to call her sister. But in one sentence, Chuck could take that all away. _Why was he doing this?_

"You see Ellie, Sarah…" She held her breath.

"…is kind of a slob" and in a moment Sarah's fear turned into bewilderment and anger.

Curious, Ellie asked "Really? She always looked so clean and presentable whenever she dropped by."

"Well, that's because you haven't been over to her place yet. Also, there's a little thing about her personal hygiene."

Sarah, now looking annoyed and angry, _Hello I'm undercover here. I'd have more time to clean my place if I didn't have to save your sorry butt every time you leave the car. And forgive me for not showering after a mission. Dodging bullets and worrying about where you are takes a lot out of ya._

Noticing the rising anger in the girlfriend, Ellie tried to stop him. "Uh, Chuck maybe this isn't the right time to…"

Interrupting her Chuck added "Oh yeah and she snores. Well I wouldn't call it snoring, more like aircraft landing. While a rock band was playing. In a hurricane."

Now Sarah was getting pissed off. _Is this what Chuck says about her when I'm not around? What else does he say about me?_

The agent part of Sarah was telling her to calm down and to be glad that he wasn't revealing any of her secrets. The civilian part of Sarah wanted to use the martial arts training from the agent part of her to kick Chuck through the wall.

"Chuck, you know that isn't nice to say…"

"Oh wait there's one more."

Ellie started to wave her hands and a concerned look showed on her face. "No, no Chuck. No more, for your sake don't let there be more."

"Yeah yeah. One more thing Ellie. She has this annoying habit" Chuck said.

Ellie could see the look on Sarah's face and could tell that they had Mount St. Helen's part two waiting to explode in their kitchen.

"Sarah has this annoying habit of sneaking up behind her boyfriend, trying to listen in on his conversations. Isn't that right Sarah?" Chuck asked as he turned to see the stunned look on his girlfriend's face.

Ellie let out a sigh of relief. She had enough of ER work today and she didn't want to have to bandage up her brother after the beating he would've received.

Now the look on Sarah's face changed quickly from one of total anger to one of confusion and annoyance. "You knew I was here?"

Chuck offered up one of his trademark smiles, hoping that it would quench the anger emanating from the blond agent. "Of course I did. It would be hard for me not to notice when the most beautiful woman in the world walked into the room."

Sarah was taken aback by the compliment, but was still undeterred. "Nice try bub, but flattery won't get you very far."

"How far has it taken me?"

"Let's just say your physical well-being is slightly safer."

Sarah then stood behind Chuck and started massaging his shoulders. "What you said…" As the words came out, she started to increase the pressure on his shoulders and neck. "…you were kidding right?"

The pain was evident on Chuck's face and now his face was almost flat against the counter top from trying to escape Sarah's clutches. "Yes, ouch yes. I was kidding. Ow ow ow. Just a little joke."

"You sure? I don't want any of my annoying habits to bother you when we move in together." Sarah's grip got even tighter.

"Ok, ok. You're making your point. It was a poor choice on my part. Ouch! Extremely poor choice. Ellie? Some help? Don't leave me here!"

Ellie was walking out of the kitchen and turned to face Chuck, "reap what you sow brother. Reap what you sow. Hey Sarah don't forget about dinner tonight."

"Don't worry Ellie, I won't forget. I've been looking forward to it" Sarah answered while still incapacitating her boyfriend.

Satisfied with the amount of pain inflicted, Sarah let him go and took a seat on the bar stool next to Chuck. While he was still nursing his wounded shoulders, she reached over and took the bowl of cereal Chuck was eating.

"Hey! Get your own bowl."

With a seriousness in her eyes, Sarah said "made…fun…of…your…girlfriend." She continued to glare at him while he was thinking of his next response.

"Uh, yeah. Would you like some orange juice with that cereal?"

"Good answer." And with that, Sarah started to laugh, which eased Chuck's mind tremendously. "You sure there was no truth with what you said to your sister?"

"Of course. Well, the truth is I am a little scared about the moving together part. Like really, we've only been together for the last four weeks."

"I know Chuck. But this is for your own protection. The NSA and CIA just feel that now that you're an agent, moving you out of your sister's place will help keep them safe. Also with your knack for getting into trouble, they feel you'll need twenty four hour protection now that there is no back up to the knowledge in your head. Besides, at least you're not in a bunker somewhere."

"I know and I'm quite thankful. But that's not what I meant. Really I was just worried about you."

"Worried about me, why?"

"Well, I know that this isn't easy for you either. Living together means that you'll have to keep your cover up for even longer periods of time. Friends and family will be popping in and out of our place. You might not get any free time for a while."

Sarah smiled and she noticed she's been doing that a lot lately. _You're one lucky girl Sarah. There he is again, worrying about you instead of himself. Does he even think about himself first?_

"Since there won't be any need for listening devices in our new place, I don't anticipate having to keep up covers when we're at home. Besides like I told you before, I never think of our time together as work. Especially now that you're mine."

A smile broke onto Chuck's face when he heard her say 'home'. _She's already thinking of it as 'home.' Quite the progression from the woman before who couldn't let out her feelings._

"Finish up breakfast Chuck. Briefing at Casey's in ten."

Sarah gave Chuck a kiss before making her way out of the apartment and over to the meeting first. Even though Casey knew about them being together, they thought it was probably wise to not flaunt it in his face.

* * *

"About time Walker " Casey said with his trademark growl.

"And good morning to you too Casey. I had some errands to finish off before the meeting." Sarah strolled past him and towards the living room where the monitor was set up.

It didn't take a spy to notice the large smile on her face and the lightness in her step when she strolled in. "Errands, I'm sure. We both know what you were finishing off."

Sarah quickly moved to defuse the situation. "Excuse me, Sugar Bear. Did you say something?" she quickly said knowing that his relationship with Ilsa was also something he wanted to keep under wraps.

"Nothing of importance."

Just then Chuck came walking in behind them, "Good morning team. Sorry I'm late. I had some errands to finish off."

Casey turned to Sarah and gave her the 'I was right' look. Sarah just rolled her eyes and continued to Casey's living room. Totally confused, Chuck asked "Did I miss something?"

The monitor flickered to life showing General Beckman, in her normal seated position, and Director Graham, hovering over her.

Graham started the meeting "Good morning people. Your next assignment is strictly recon. The subject is Alexander Krijchek, world renowned philanthropist and head of the humanitarian group, One Earth."

Chuck's eyes glazed over as he saw hundreds of images pass before his mind's eye. His mind recorded what he saw: crates of M16 assault rifles, shoulder-fired FIM-92 surface to air stinger missiles, M79 grenade launchers, and the list continued. Once the flash was done, Chuck added "His other occupation seems to be far from humanitarian. He specializes in providing weaponry to terrorist groups around the world."

"That's correct Agent Bartowski" Beckman answered.

"Apparently his need of money trumps his desire to help people. He will be having a fundraiser party in his Malibu home this Saturday evening."

"So you want us to spy on Krijchek?" said Casey.

"No Agent Casey, we have more than enough evidence to nail Krijchek to the wall. But he will remain untouched for the time being considering the extent of his influence. The party is actually far from a fundraiser; representative from groups wishing to acquire weapons will be invited there and orders will be taken. That is where the intersect comes into play."

"I'm guessing you want to mingle around with the guests and let you know who I flash on and for what group their representing" offered Chuck.

Waiting for his turn, Graham said "correct again, Bartowski. We need to know who is buying the weapons so we can take them out. And in doing so we also discredit Krijchek and soon after his network will fall."

An idea suddenly popped into Casey's head, "Excuse me. I notice that Krijchek's daughter will also be at the party. If we can get to her, we might be able to gain access to more information than who's at the party."

"Are you suggesting that you seduce the lady?" asked Beckman.

"Uh, no. I was thinking we have Bartowski do it."

Casey could've sworn that Sarah sucked in all the air in the room with the gasp he heard. Chuck on the other hand wasn't breathing any air. He was holding his breath with a apprehensive look on his face.

"I don't know if we should put Chuck in that much danger. Remember these guys supply terrorists with weapons, its not inconceivable that they keep some themselves. Also asking Chuck to seduce Krijchek's daughter might be asking a bit much from him" Sarah said, trying to scramble for reasons.

Chuck was still in shock with the fact that he had to seduce a known weapons dealer's daughter, but now he also felt a little bit of annoyance with Sarah's reasons for why he shouldn't do it. He knew he wasn't trained like they were but felt that the last several months were a trial by fire and she had mentioned on many occasions that he did better than most agents. The one that struck him the most was the line about not being able to seduce someone.

Beckman and Graham muted the teleconference and looked to be in discussion. Finally they both nodded and proceeded to unmute the TV. "Sounds good Major. The fundraiser is also having a bachelor auction. Bartowski will be part of that auction. You will be bartending the event while Agent Walker will attend as a guest. Good luck."

Unceremoniously, the TV flicked off. "Well that's that. I'll see you guys later. Big Mike has me stuck in the cage today trying to catch up on the backlog." Chuck quickly exited the room, leaving Sarah and Casey staring at each other.

"So what was that about Casey?" Sarah asked with her hands on her hips.

"What do you mean? I made a suggestion that I hoped would improve our ability to gather intel on this particular mission. But you're right, I also had an ulterior motive."

"Which is?"

"To train Chuck. I'm sure that you'll be able to protect no matter what the situation is, but sooner or later he's going to have to go at it alone. I'd be more comfortable if he was a bit more confident in his skills."

"And you think that teaching him to seduce someone is best way to start? How bout some hand to hand or weapons training? Something practical."

"Well, this is one of the few things he can start out with without getting hurt. Well not hurt that bad. Also, I just want to see your face when he cozies up to some other woman and start to place the moves on her." Casey let out a chuckle.

"I'll ignore that last part." Sarah looked up and gave him a wicked looking grin. "But you better be careful Casey, unless you want people to think that you actually like Chuck."

The happy look on Casey's face turned into one of disgust, "Thanks Walker, you sure know how to bring a guy down."

Her job finished, Sarah turned around and left to begin another rousing day at Wienerlicious.

* * *

"Ellie, dinner was great! I haven't had a meal that good in a while" said Sarah.

"You sure? It was only meatloaf. Maybe you can come over one day and I'll teach you how to make it."

It took all of Sarah's training to prevent a huge smile from forming on her face after hearing the offer from Ellie. Although to Ellie it was a simple gesture, to Sarah it was much more significant and carried more meaning. She loved spending time with her and she often thought that this was what it felt like to have an older sister.

"Thanks Ellie. That would be great. I'm getting tired of Chuck's jokes about me having no sense around the kitchen."

From the kitchen they heard Chuck shouting "You burnt toast."

Surprised, Sarah shouted back "I was preoccupied ok?"

"It was on a timer in a toaster oven. All you had to do was press start."

Seeing all the people on the table laughing, Sarah smirked and could only say "See what I mean?"

Ellie loved seeing Chuck joke around with Sarah. Being his sister, she knew that Chuck wouldn't joke like that about someone if he didn't feel comfortable around them. Seeing the embarassed look on her face, Ellie decided that she should let Sarah in on that sooner than later. For Chuck's sake.

Sarah joined Chuck in the kitchen, who was stuck doing dishes due to his earlier joke at Sarah's expense. "Bout done there honey?" Sarah asked, knowing he didn't like the manual labor.

"These hands were made for video games and fixing computers. Not soaping cups and bowls."

"Don't complain. Its the least you could do for the wonderful dinner Ellie put on."

"I know, I know. By the way, you should take her up on the offer for cooking lessons. Not that I was insisting you learn how to cook but I think you and her would enjoy the time together."

Sarah looked lovingly at the man washing the dishes. "Now how is it that you know what I'm thinking?

Chuck just shrugs his shoulders as if reading her was as easy as reading a book.

"It's getting kind of annoying you know."

"Wait till I start predicting your time of the month." Sarah started laughing and came up behind Chuck to give him a hug.

Chuck's face turned slightly serious for a moment. "I have something to ask you about this morning's meeting."

"What's that?"

"You seemed to be pretty sure that I wasn't going to be able to seduce Krijchek's daughter."

"I'm sorry if I sounded like I was putting you down. But it takes a certain type to seduce someone."

Chuck turned around and now was leaning on the countertop facing Sarah. "And I'm not that type?"

"Well no. You have many great talents but seducing the opposite sex doesn't seem to be one of them."

"Then tell me this, how was I able to land the blond bombshell Sarah Walker."

"You didn't need to seduce me, you had me from 'Vicky Vale'."

Chuck let out a sarcastic laugh.

Just then Ellie and Devon came into the kitchen looking to place the used dessert plates into the sink. "Hey Ellie, Sarah here says that I don't have it in me to seduce a woman."

Ellie looked like she was struggling for an answer. "Well Chuck, truth is..."

Shaking his head, "Eh tu Brutus? My own sister."

"You've always had your own way of attracting the opposite sex. A more unconventional way." Chuck thinking of his relationship with Sarah, _That wasn't conventional, I guess._

Now feeling a bit outnumbered Chuck was deep in thought, trying to figure out a way to show his seduction abilties. He didn't seem to notice that Morgan and Anna had joined in the conversation and Devon was bringing them up to speed.

Anna, with a twinkle in her eye, broke the silence. "Hey Chuckles, I have an idea. What if you and Sarah compete in seduction contest?"

Chuck was intrigued but confused to what exactly happens in a seduction contest and how the winner is decided. "Sounds good but how do we know when I win?"

Sarah smirked at his question, "You mean when I win, don't you honey?"

Ellie quickly answered, "You can just tell who's the loser by the look in their eyes. They'll have a look of total lack of will, as if they would do anything the other person says. Their eyes would be glazed over; kind of the same look Morgan has when Anna is ordering him around."

"Hey!"

"Sorry Morgan, but its true."

Dejectedly, Morgan agreed. "No problem. But how bout we put some money on this? You know, a little bit of action?"

Everyone looked around before they all agreed to the wager.

Morgan was quickly writing down the bets. "Ok I have Ellie, Anna, and Sarah obviously betting on Sarah to win."

Curious, Chuck asked "Who are you betting on Morgan?"

Morgan looked around nervously, not wanting to hurt his best friend. "Sorry buddy, but in this situation. I'm going with Sarah."

"Even my brother from a different mother doesn't believe in me."

"It's not that Chuck. Have you seen Sarah? She could probably seduce a blind man by just winking at him."

Chuck looked Sarah over before nodding his head in agreement. Sarah was more than happy to pose for him as he looked her up and down. Guys usually gave her a look over as well, but with Chuck it seemed like he truly was appreciating the whole package.

"Don't worry Chuck, I have your back. I predict awesome things from you" said Devon.

"Devon, you're in my will."

Morgan still writing, "Ok Chuck and Devon betting on Chuck to win. That should be it..."

All of the sudden, Casey jumped in and asked "Can I join in this bet?"

Quite surprised, Morgan answered "Sure John let me guess. You're going with Sarah?"

"Nope, my money's on Chuck."

Chuck couldn't keep the look of surprise from coming on his face. "Really? You believe in me?"

"Don't get too big of a head. I just think you have Sarah all in a tizzy. Even someone like you should be able to push her over the edge."

Ellie spoke up "Ok let's do this. Tomorrow night, at that new club Shine on Sunset. Girls and guys will arrive there separately. Sarah and Chuck won't have any contact tomorrow until they see each other that night and for the night they won't know each other. Agreed?"

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other before agreeing in unison. Chuck added "No holds barred. Anything goes, except drugs of course." Everyone laughed at the suggestion that no drugs be allow, but Chuck and Casey knew that it was actually a possibility with Sarah.

Sarah knew exactly what he was saying. He was letting her use her CIA training in the competition. _Poor guy, he won't know what hit him._

Ellie was obviously excited considering they hadn't gone out a group for a long time. Even more exciting was the prospect of seeing her brother push his normal boundaries and try something new.

The night finally being over, Chuck walked Sarah over to her car but stopped in front of the fountain in the courtyard. "How bout a side bet beside the other one?"

Smiling, Sarah answered "Sure thing, I wouldn't mind winning something else from you."

"You seem awfully sure that I'm going to lose."

"Let's just say I'm confident in my abilities. So what's do you want if by the smallest of chances you win?"

"Uh-uh, you first." Chuck was smiling and Sarah could tell he had something up his sleeve. Her choice of prize would have to be a good one.

"Alright then if I win, you'll have to leave the XBOX, Wii, and PS3 behind when we move in together. No video games in the new place."

Saying that Chuck was in shock would be an understatement. Asking him to leave those behind would be like asking someone to leave their arms behind. What about his Call of Duty and Halo parties? The thought of being without them sent chills down his spine. But Chuck was still confident in his abilities and said "Sure, no problem. I'm just agreeing because I'm sure that it won't happen. Now for my prize."

"I'm all ears, sweetie." Sarah said.

"If I win, I get to drive your car anytime I want." Chuck now had a full blown grin on his face.

"No way. My car, the Porsche. You get to drive it?" It was now Sarah's turn to have a shocked look on her face. The Porsche was the one thing she had that she cherished; it was one of the few things she actually bought for herself. Ever since she was a little kid, she loved the way the Porsche looked and she knew she had to get one for herself. It was so important to her that she made sure that her car was shipped to where she was whenever she was in the United States, instead of taking the company assigned one. "You know how much I love this car right?"

"I do and that's why I want to drive it."

"And you know if you scratch it, I'll drag your butt to the bunker myself right?"

"It's only fair, my video games versus your car."

Reluctantly Sarah answered "Fine. I'm also just agreeing because I'm sure that you won't win."

With that Chuck stuck out his hand, waiting for a handshake to finish the deal. Sarah took his hand but moved in close till their faces were inches apart. "I'm going to enjoy this" Sarah said while taking a step back.

"So will I" Chuck said with confidence.

"I have a question though."

Chuck gave her the look to continue.

"Why the car?" Sarah paused for a second, "You know we haven't gone all the way yet. You could've asked for that or maybe something like me becoming your slave" Sarah said seductively. Giving it a little thought, she added "Or maybe could've asked for my real name. I know that's something that you always wanted to know."

Chuck had pained but pensive look. Pained because Sarah mentioned that they haven't gone ALL the way yet, but this time they really were taking it slow. He figured that the real Sarah was actually shy and passive when it comes to relationships.

Chuck finally spoke up, "I could've asked for your name but that would be cheating. I'd rather that you trust me enough to tell me something that sensitive rather than being forced to tell it by losing a bet."

Sarah's eyes started watering. She figured that Chuck would say something thoughtful like that but hearing it still made her happy. _Of course Chuck wouldn't make me do anything I wasn't comfortable with. He's always had my best in mind._

Chuck continued, "As for the intimate part you were talking about, I figure when I seduce you and you're putty in my hands it should take care of itself." He let out a slightly evil sounding laugh.

"We'll see, Chuck. Goodnight and I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Goodnight Sarah. Drive safe." Chuck turned around and a worried look came over his face. _No choice, I guess I have to pull out all the stops to win this one. Can't say I'm looking forward to it though._


	3. Chapter 3: Hidden talents

Sarah looked around the nightclub. _Shine. Not bad. _Ellie had recommended this place after hearing about it from some of the other doctors in the ER. They all had nothing but good things to say about it and they all mentioned it was the place to mingle and to be seen.

It had a contemporary style: marble floors with decorated ceilings, numerous arch ways, and large two-story Greek columns reaching up into the ceiling. Sarah read up on the place and found it used to be home to a federal bank; further evidence was that the original vault was renovated into a billiards lounge complete with massive doors. There were three rooms splitting off the main floor, each catering to a different taste in music. The billiards lounge was directly ahead, playing mostly top 40 music. To her right was Infrared, catering to those who loved 70's and 80's music and to her left was Ultraviolet, which looked to be where live music was played. There was a small stage on one side complete with a piano, guitars, drums, etc. That looked to be the perfect setting for the game to take place; it was laid back and not as crowded as the other places were.

Ellie had driven both of them to the club around 10pm. Sarah had insisted that it was fine and that she could drive herself but the Bartowski sister had explained that she saw enough alcohol related accidents and that she didn't want to see her in one. "Besides if Chuck doesn't live up to expectations, you might want to get drunk just to forget what happened" she explained. Both girls laughed as various embarrassing scenes with Chuck came to mind.

Sarah was still laughing when she told Ellie, "I wouldn't be have surprised if he and Morgan showed up here with their sandworm costume."

"I know. Chuck's always had his own way of doing stuff. But to be honest, I was kind of surprised that he agreed to this competition. I'm glad he's pushing his boundaries a bit and I know I have you to thank."

Sarah smiled at the compliment. Like always, she always took what Chuck's sister said to heart. "We'll see how far he'll extend his boundaries."

Just then Devon walked into Ultraviolet and noticed the two ladies standing by a bar table near the back wall. Devon took in the sight of Ellie, who was wearing a halter top black dress which ended around mid-thigh. Sarah was next to her, equally as stunning but much more bold in her choice of dress. He let out a whistle. _Chuck, poor Chuck. I really hope you're prepared._

"Hello ladies, you both look awesome tonight."

Ellie turned and saw her fiancée in a nice button down shirt and slacks. "Hey there Devon, looking good yourself" said Ellie as she leaned in for a kiss.

Devon turned "Hey there Sarah. What are you trying to do? Kill Chuck? I thought this was going to be a friendly game but you came in guns blazing. So to speak."

"What do you mean? This little old thing? Its been sitting in my closet for a while" said Sarah coyly as she was fixing the hem of the dress.

"Sure it was. That's not fair. You wearing that is like using a grenade to open a can of beans."

"All's fair in love and war Devon. Chuck said no holds barred. I got to do what I got to do."

Devon just shook his head. "By the way I picked up Morgan and Anna, they're getting some drinks. John didn't want to go; said something about poking his eyes out."

"Hey guys! Whoa, Sarah. Looking good!" Morgan said while his eyes were bugging out.

Clearly annoyed at the attention he was paying to Sarah, Anna elbowed him in the ribs. "Excuse me Morgan, what did you say?"

"Ow, nothing. Nothing at all."

Sarah was laughing at Morgan's antics and part of her was glad to have the attention. She noticed it coming in; the head of all the guys' in the room turned to look at her. But still it was not the same as the feeling of Chuck looking at her; his looks were appreciative and not degrading like these other guys. "So where's Chuck?"

"Actually I don't know. Haven't seen him all day" replied Morgan who was trying to keep his eyes on his drink.

"He didn't go to work today?"

"Nope, he called in sick this morning. He mentioned something about having to go all out and that he had a lot of errands to take care of."

"You don't know what he was doing?"

"Nope I assume it has to do with the challenge."

Ellie spoke up, "Seems like he's taking this really seriously. You could be in trouble Sarah."

"I'm looking forward to this type of trouble" Sarah said with an evil smile.

Sarah looked around the table. Ellie and Devon were standing close to each other, getting into the vibe of the room. Morgan was joking with Anna, obviously successful in getting to her good side once again. For the first time in a long while, she felt content. Here were her friends, all excited to go out on the town with her and she couldn't deny that she felt the same about them. Only one missing is the most important part of her life, Chuck.

At that moment a tall, dark haired man walked into the club and went into Ultraviolet. He stood at the doorway for a moment, trying to take in the scene. Instinctively all the women turned their heads and started checking out the newcomer. He had a calm, confident aura about him which got all the ladies' attention.

Ellie saw all the heads turn and was curious to see who came in. As soon as her brain registered who was standing there, she whispered "Oh, my gosh!"

Sarah heard the shock in her voice and quickly turned around to look in the same direction. What she saw took her breath away as well; there stood Chuck dressed in a black pinstripe jacket, black button down shirt, and dark blue jeans. She looked him up and down and was taken aback after seeing the change; Chuck was so put together that it looked like he walked off a magazine cover. His normally long, curly hair was now gone, replaced with clean cut, faded sides and slightly longer top. Sarah closed her eyes for a moment as if what she saw was a figment of her imagination. Gone was the nerdy, game obsessed man she knew, replaced with a sexy, well put together man who had a commanding presence about him. _This is going to be good_.

Chuck looked around and was equally surprised when he saw Sarah; it took all his willpower to prevent his jaw from hitting the ground. He always thought she looked beautiful but this time she had gone above and beyond that. She was stunning and he was having a hard time taking his eyes off her. She was wearing a deep red dress which was a lot shorter than other dresses that he saw her in. The front of the dress plunged dangerously close to being indecent whereas the back was WAY past indecent. _This is beyond good._

Their eyes met for a moment and that was all that was needed to convey the feelings they had for each other. After a quick smile, Chuck broke the connection and headed for the bar, clearly indicating that the game was afoot.

Ellie finally spoke up, "Ok Sarah. You're definitely in trouble. I didn't think he was going to take it this seriously. I mean look, he even got his hair cut and styled!"

All Sarah could do was nod; she was still watching the handsome man. Just like all the women around them, her eyes were glued to his every movement. She looked around at the other women and couldn't help but feel sorry, sorry that they wouldn't get anything else from her boyfriend other than this.

Sarah watched closely as Chuck walked through the club only to stop in front three women. Apparently one had spilled all the drinks as well as dropping her purse on the ground, spilling its contents as well. She watched warmly as Chuck acted like the perfect gentleman; he bent down and picked up the items strewn out on the floor and placed them back into the purse. He gave it back to the woman who was clearly surprised that someone like Chuck was helping her out. After introducing himself to each of them, Chuck then waved down a waitress and ordered drinks for all the ladies and proceeded to give a generous tip. Just like that he walked away, apparently not noticing that the women were totally enamored by his words and actions. _Still charming as ever, even if he doesn't know that he's doing it._

As soon as Chuck was at the bar, Sarah made her move towards him. "Showtime" she whispered to herself.

Sarah went up to the bar, stopping right next to him. As if she was saying it to nobody, but actually to Chuck, "I swear that it takes forever to get a drink here."

Chuck looked over to the beautiful blond next to him, "It's not that bad. It could be worse."

"Worse? How could it be worse?"

"They could be quick with drinks and you'd be gone before I got your name." Chuck gave a half smile.

"It's Sarah."

"Beautiful name, Sarah. I'm Charles" he said as he extended his hand out.

Shaking his hand, Sarah joked "Charles? Quite regal sounding."

"Don't feel the need to bow or anything" joked Chuck. Sarah let out a chuckle. "Well Sarah, if you're anxious for a drink I'm sure there's a line of guys in here waiting to buy you one."

"Yeah I know. Too bad I have to decline them; I only take drinks from guys who interest me." Sarah batted her eyelashes before continuing, "But I'm sure that if you buy me one, I won't be able to refuse."

Chuck was feeling his strength waver. In the span of a few minutes, Sarah was already shaking his foundations. He waved down a bartender, "I'll have a scotch, neat please. The lovely lady will have..."

"An amaretto sour, thanks."

They both gazed into each other's eyes for moment as the bartender moved away to complete what they ordered. Just as it was becoming uncomfortably quiet, Chuck spoke up. "So Sarah, what brings you here if you're not looking for guys?"

"I never said I wasn't looking; I was only looking for guys who interest me. Like you."

"Something about me interests you?"

"Right now, everything about you interests me." Pausing to look into his eyes, "You made quite the entrance earlier. You had all the other girls' attention."

Chuck raised an eyebrow, "Really? Other girls? And here I thought it was just you and me in the room." Chuck smiled before thanking the bartender for bringing their drinks.

Sarah was surprised, normally a corny line like that wouldn't affect her but this time it did. Maybe it wasn't because of the line but who had said it. She looked up and took in this different Chuck; he was oozing self-confidence and charisma. She knew she was in trouble; she couldn't resist him before and now it was ten times more difficult. Without any defenses against him, all Sarah could do was go on the offensive and hope that he breaks before she does.

"So Charles..." Sarah started before giving him her full blown smile.

Ellie and rest of the gang were looking on and laughing. They could tell immediately that both Chuck and Sarah were having a hard time trying to keep away from each other. Just as soon as one would look to have the upper hand, the other one took control.

Morgan turned around and looked at Anna, "Man, I should've known Chuck would be able to go toe to toe with Sarah. Now I feel bad for doubting him."

"Truthfully Morgan, I don't think even Chuck knew he could do that."

Ellie was still in shock at her brother's new appearance and apparent boost in self-confidence. _I knew you had it in you Chuck._

Sarah and Chuck were conversing and enjoying each other's company for several minutes when Sarah decided to go for the kill.

"You know Charles, let's cut to the chase." She leaned in and brought her face inches away from Chuck's and gently picked up his hand. "I want you. I REALLY want you."

Chuck was both shocked and aroused at her sudden forwardness but tried to portray a calm and collected exterior. But in reality warning sirens were going off in his head. _Keep it together Chuck, keep it together. Think of something else, anything else._

"We can keep playing games like this all night, but for me it won't do anything more than reinforce what I already feel for you. Do you understand how much I need you right now?"

Chuck nodded his head sheepishly.

"I don't think you do Charles. While we've been talking, I've found myself memorizing how you look, how your voice sounds, how your hand feels in mine," said Sarah as she gently caressed the back of his hand. "But you know what I really want to find out about you?"

"No, what's that?" said Chuck with his voice slightly cracking.

"What you taste like." Sarah looked him and gave him the most lustful look she could manage. She took even more delight when she heard him gulp before turning his face away. _This should finish him off._

Looking up to make sure she still had Chuck's attention, Sarah took the cherry from her drink by the stem and brought it to her lips. Chuck's eyes almost popped out of his head as he witnessed her suggestively take her tongue and lick the cherry before finally biting down and eating it. Sarah could've sworn she heard his brain explode.

"So Charles, now that I let you know how I feel, I'll be going over to my seat now. You know where to find me if you want me." And with that, she stood up and slowly turned to the rest of the gang. Noticing that Chuck was not able to say anything, she knew he was done.

Sarah looked over her shoulder as she walked away to make sure that she had Chuck's full attention and to her delight, he never took his eyes off her.

Chuck couldn't help but stare as she walked off and left him there wanting more. _Ok, ok. Get a hold of yourself Chuck. You still have an ace up your sleeve. You need to calm down to use it; somehow calm down after THAT. Ok, not calm. Try relatively calm. Try calmer than you are now. _

Sarah sat back down on her bar stool and caught Chuck's attention. She mouthed the words "Your move" and gave him a wicked smile.

Chuck quickly turned around to face the bartender, "One more, quickly please." As soon as it came, he took it down in one gulp. "Another."

The bartender, concerned, asked "You sure?"

"Did you just see who I was with?"

"Yeah, I see your point. I'll get you another."

Ellie couldn't help but laugh at Chuck's reaction. He started out strong but looked like he cracked right then from Sarah's antics. They all stared over at him, noticing he wasn't moving for a while.

"Do you think he had a heart attack and died?" asked Morgan.

"I don't know. But I'm sure he's happy wherever he is now" replied Devon.

Ellie turned, "I don't know Sarah. I think you should've eased off a bit. You know you want him functional right?"

"Don't worry; I'm sure I can bring him back to health." They both giggled like school girls and Sarah realized she hadn't done that in a very long time.

Chuck sat there for a bit, finally calming himself down before thinking of his plan. One major thing he had discovered about Sarah was the big difference between her agent side and real side. Agent Sarah was just like he saw her today: straightforward, confident, and overtly sexy. But after several dates, Chuck saw hints of the real Sarah who was quite the opposite. The real side was a bit more shy, sensitive, and unsure, as well as a bit more clingy. He hoped that his next action would appeal to the real Sarah and have her running to his arms. _It's all or nothing._

After a few minutes Ellie and Sarah were worried about him so they scanned around only to find Chuck wasn't at his place at the bar. They quickly looked around and finally found him talking to some of the members of the band. They were taking a break from playing and Chuck apparently became quick buddies with them.

"Oh oh. I didn't think he would take it this far," Ellie said.

"What do you mean? What is he up to?" Sarah asked with a worried look on her face.

"Well I guess he never told you this, but our parents made us take piano lessons for most of our childhood. But I quickly gave it up when I had the chance, but Chuck was so good that they insisted he stay in. He stopped around the time he went to Stanford and after he came back...well you know why he didn't want to start up again. Chuck was always embarrassed to play for anyone so most of the time he just played for the family. But to see him up there, must mean you got him over his fear."

They watched carefully while Chuck was joking around with the band. The piano player suddenly stood up and offered him the seat at the baby grand. Chuck carefully took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. After a few nods were passed around, they started playing some instrumental versions of songs on the radio which was a big hit with the crowd.

Sarah and the rest of the people in the room were completely mesmerized with the sight of Chuck swaying side to side while playing on the piano. He seemed completely at ease with all the eyes watching him as his fingers glided back and forth over the black and white keys. The other band members seem equally impressed at how well he was doing considering he hadn't practiced with them.

Chuck paused for a moment and looked over to the rest of the band and after giving them a little nod, they started out on a song which that Sarah remembered but couldn't quite place. Suddenly it hit her; it was one of the songs that Chuck played for her on their first official date. Closer to you by the Wallflowers. She gasped as she heard the familiar voice echo throughout the club.

How soft a whisper can get  
When you're walking through a  
crowded space

I hear every word being said  
And I remember that everyday  
I get a little bit closer to you

How long an hour can take  
When you're staring into open  
space

When I feel I'm slipping further  
away

I remember that everyday  
I get a little bit closer to you

Sarah and the rest of them could barely hold in their surprise when Chuck's voice came over the speakers. Even Morgan was astonished to hear his best friend singing and all Devon could muster was "Awesome." Sarah looked over to Ellie as if to ask for an explanation but all she could do was smile and shake her head. Sarah looked back over to Chuck, now unwilling to divert her eyes for even a second just in case she missed something.

These are the days  
That I won't get back  
I won't hear you cry  
Or hear you laugh  
And when it's quiet  
And I don't hear a thing  
I can always hear you breathe

Sarah thought back to the date and when he played the song. He explained that he felt that it was about a man who's living life alone now but is hopeful that the woman meant for him is out there. He gets by through life realizing that as every day passes, it brings him that much closer to meeting the woman who would complete him. It was about them and she was the one that he was waiting for.

Sarah's eyes misted over as she saw Chuck look up from the piano and focused on her while singing. She knew that he wanted her to know that he was singing this for her and only her. The words that followed resonated in her heart.

You know there's nowhere else  
I've wanted to be  
Than be there when you needed me  
I'm sorry too  
But don't give up on me

And just remember that when you  
Were asleep  
I got a little bit closer to you

Sarah couldn't help but feel enormous love for the man on the piano. Anna nudged Morgan, trying to get him to look at Sarah's face. The whole group turned to face her and saw the far away, eyes glazed over look. "It's over. She's done" Anna said with a laugh.

Sarah kept her eyes on Chuck the whole time and now was holding her breath as she saw him stand up from the piano and put on his jacket. He shook the other band members' hands and quickly turned to face her. As if in slow motion, she watched him walk across the club without his eyes breaking contact with hers. She didn't know when she stood up but the intensity of his stare caused her to take a few steps back and now she was leaning completely against the back wall. She felt as if a torrent of desire and affection was pinning her in place and preventing her from moving.

Chuck finally reached his destination and moved in so close to Sarah that their whole bodies were touching. He brought his left hand up to support himself against the wall and started to lean down towards her face. Sarah couldn't stand the closeness between them any longer and closed her eyes, anticipating the kiss. But just as Chuck's lips were about to brush hers, he moved till his mouth was near her left ear. In the huskiest voice he could muster, Chuck said "How was that for my move?"

Sarah's eyes suddenly popped open and just as quickly narrowed into slits to show her annoyance, not at losing the challenge but because of the lack of intimate contact.

Chuck faced her again and gave her a full smile. He turned to walk away only to find his left hand being held back by Sarah. In a quick move, she pulled him back and kissed him passionately. Finally after coming up for air, she looked at Chuck and said, "Don't ever leave me like that without kissing me ever again or I'll hurt you. Understand?"

Smiling, Chuck answered "Perfectly."

For the rest of the night Sarah never let go of Chuck's hand, not that he complained. They stayed that way for most of the night and Sarah noticed the jealous glances she received from the women around the club. Devon turned and told them that he could practically hear all the ladies' underwear drop to the floor when Chuck finished singing. They all had a laugh except for Ellie who promptly punched Devon in the shoulder for such a rude remark.

The night finally ended and everyone decided to go their separate ways. Ellie insisted that she drive Chuck and Sarah but he reassured her that they would take a cab back.

"You surprised me today Chuck" said Sarah softly.

"I surprised myself actually."

"You actually played the piano and sang for me. I know it must've been hard for you."

"Not really. It was relatively easy to do for someone I love."

Once again Sarah found herself with tears in her eyes. She whispered "I love you, Chuck."

Chuck's face could barely contain his smile as he finally heard the words that he waited for. "Did you just say what I think you said? Is there a bomb somewhere around here?" he said frantically looking around.

"No but don't make me repeat it. It was hard enough the first time."

Chuck gave her a huge hug before opening the door to the cab. "Let's take you home. Its been a long night."

Chuck walked Sarah up to the door of her hotel room when she turned around to face him. "Would you like to come in for a drink?"

"I don't know. We're both pretty tired."

Looking slightly annoyed, Sarah turned to Chuck and explained, "Chuck, when a woman asks a guy into her place for a drink, it usually means there will be more than drinking involved."

Chuck had a confused look on his face and looked to be in deep thought when suddenly it hit him, "Oh. Oh! I get you. Sorry, I've been out of practice."

"Don't worry about that, I plan to get as much practice in with you as possible" Sarah said pulling Chuck into her room.

_A/N: I don't actually go to clubs a lot or at all but I based this one on a club in San Diego. Hopefully their conversation is believable, I haven't had to seduce anyone before._


	4. Chapter 4: The auction

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews. I really appreciate it. Hopefully this is somewhat decent. Enjoy

It was early Saturday morning when Chuck strolled into the courtyard of his apartment complex

It was early Saturday morning when Chuck strolled into the courtyard of his apartment complex. Totally oblivious to the world around him, Chuck found himself reliving every moment of the night before. Sure he was repeating the memories of the night spent at Sarah's hotel room more often than other memories, but who could blame him.

"Late night Bartowski?"

Chuck, startled, quickly turned around to see Casey standing in his doorway dressed in his pajamas and robe. "Uh yeah, it got pretty wild."

"I'm sure it did, I'm sure it did" said Casey with a smirk on his face. "So who finally came out on top?"

Chuck, with a bewildered look on his face and stumbling for words, said "Well, I don't know...it had been a while...Sarah seemed to be enjoying it...then we switched things up...actually, it was kind of a blur."

Casey was getting slightly annoyed and asked "So you don't know who won the seduction challenge between you and Sarah?"

"Oh the challenge. I thought you meant...never mind" Chuck looked up to see Casey with a quizzical look on his face. "Yeah I won the challenge" he quickly replied hoping that Casey would forget what he had just said.

"Speaking of which, here's your half of the winnings" Chuck replied while pulling an envelope out of his jacket.

"Great job, knew you had it in you" Casey remarked while grinning. "Been looking to buy a new gun for the collection."

"Really? You don't think you have enough guns back there? I'm sure most small countries don't have the same firepower as you do."

"Hmm, nope never enough." Casey looked away as if contemplating what to get. "Maybe I'll get the Glock 39; don't have one of those yet."

"Glock? I thought you were a Smith & Wesson Model 29 kind of guy to me" said Chuck. "You know, Dirty Harry's gun?"

"Where did you find out anything about handguns?"

"Read about them while I'm waiting for you in your living room in the morning before work. You have those magazines laying out everywhere; it's kind of hard not to know anything about guns."

Casey was intrigued by his display of some weapon knowledge and turned to face him. "Yeah, had one when I first started out. I loved my .45 magnum, but the higher ups said that it was too messy for the clean up crews. Made me tone it down a bit."

"I see how that could be a problem." Chuck turned towards his front door, "See you later, then."

"Remember, 5:30 for a briefing before the mission. By the way, where is Walker anyways?"

"Early shift at the Wienerlicious. She said she'll be done by noon. Why?"

Casey had a curious look on his face. "I just thought I heard her Porsche come up the alley way."

"It did. I drove her to work and then drove it here" stated Chuck proudly.

"You drove her car?" said Casey with a look of total shock on his face. "The car that she beat up five terrorists for when they put a bullet hole in the back bumper? That car?"

"Yup, part of a side bet. If I won, I get to drive her car. And obviously I did."

Shaking his head, Casey commended him. "You keep amazing me Bartowski. From what I heard, she didn't even let Bryce drive that car."

Laughing, Chuck said "I'm not Bryce."

"That you're not, Chuck." _In the ways that matter, you're much better. _"Well be careful with it. The last thing we need is an angry CIA agent wanting to blow you up. Even I don't have the firepower to stop her when she's on a rampage" laughed Casey as he closed his front door.

Chuck was left there standing and wondering if what he said really was a joke; shaking his head he made it to his apartment for some needed rest.

* * *

_Finally, _Sarah thought to herself as she finished her shift at the Wienerlicious. She had spent the morning thinking of last night with Chuck. Luckily for her, certain moments of the night helped speed up the hours and now she was able to spend some time with Chuck and get some rest in before the mission tonight. _We don't need that much rest_.

She stepped out the door and found Chuck parked right in front. He was leaning against the passenger side of the Porsche and had a big smile on his face. _Kryptonite I tell you. That smile is kryptonite to me._

"Hey there beautiful. How was the shift at Wienerlicious?"

"Do you need to ask? Let's just say I'm much happier now" said Sarah as she leaned in for a hug.

"Happy because you're with me or because you see your car is still in one piece?" joked Chuck.

"Both."

"So back to my place then? I'm sure you need some sleep. Agents sleep right?"

"Yeah we do. But let's go back to my hotel room instead."

"Why? We're going to Casey's place later tonight for a briefing anyways right?"

"Two words: Morgan door."

Chuck's eyes lit up as he opened up the passenger side door for her. "Good point. To your place Sarah."

As soon as she heard him say 'Sarah,' she knew there was a problem that she needed to rectify immediately. "Chuck, before we go there is something I need to talk to you about."

Chuck was just getting into the driver's side when he saw the serious look on her face. "Ok, sounds bad. What is it?"

"It's not bad. I just didn't have time last night to tell you since we were otherwise preoccupied." Sarah smiled then took a breath and looked deep into his eyes. "It's Sarah."

"Ok, nice to meet you. I'm Chuck."

"No Chuck, my real name is Sarah. Sarah Lisa actually."

Confused, Chuck thought for a moment before he asked "But didn't you say something before that Sarah wasn't your real name?"

Sarah looked down and replied "Yes, I lied. At that time I was really angry with you for thinking I was a double agent and that I betrayed you. That hurt you know."

"I know. I still feel bad about it." Chuck took his hand and lifted Sarah's chin so that he could see her face. "Sarah is really your name? And here I thought it was something weird."

"What did you think my name would be?"

"Something like Trixie or Jezebel." Chuck laughed, "I'm joking of course. I couldn't see you with any other name than Sarah."

A huge smile formed on Sarah's face as she reached over and kissed Chuck. "My whole name is Sarah Lisa..."

Just as she was about to tell him her family name, Chuck interrupted "Actually Sarah Lisa is fine for now. I know you trust me with that information, but telling me your last name puts your family in danger as well. I couldn't live with myself if I was forced to reveal that and something happened to your family. So let's stick with Sarah for now."

Smiling, Sarah said "Of course Chuck. But you know I trust you with more than just my name, right?" After seeing Chuck nod, she added "Let's go. I'm looking forward to getting into bed."

"That tired eh?"

Showing an evil smile, Sarah replied "No, I'm not."

"Neither am I" Chuck replied as he figured out what she meant.

* * *

After attempting to get some rest at the hotel, Chuck and Sarah knocked on Casey's door around 5:20pm already dressed for the huge fundraiser party that night. Luckily Chuck had picked up his tux from the dry cleaners before picking up Sarah.

As Casey opened the door, Chuck noticed he was in his bartender uniform which he had been called to wear more often than not. "I'll be having a martini, shaken not stirred, and water for the beautiful lady. Thanks" said Chuck to Casey.

"Funny Bartowski." Casey walked away to let the two into the apartment. "You two don't look too tired to me."

Curious, Sarah asked "And why would we be tired?"

"I don't know. Since you guys are moving in together, I thought you would be doing various home decorating stuff." Now looking at Sarah's direction, Casey continued. "You know...like making sure the carpet matches the drapes" he said snickering

Sarah had no reply but looked to be extremely annoyed, understanding what Casey was implying.

Chuck on the other hand was clueless to the sexual innuendo and chimed in. "What are you talking about Casey? You know that we have smooth Brazilian walnut floors in the new place."

Casey dropped his head and covered his eyes while laughing. "Not even touching that one. Too easy I tell you."

Chuck looked over to Sarah whose face had turned bright red and now was glaring at him. "What did I say?"

Angry, Sarah said "Can we get on with the briefing or do you want to continue with the high school humor?"

"Fine, fine. Don't get your panties in a bunch Walker." Grabbing three manila folders on the counter and handing them each one, Casey continued. "Mission is simple really. Chuck you're going in as Charles Carmichael, a wealthy owner of a start up software company. You have been active in environmental issues and that's why you're there at the party. All you have to do is get in close with Krijchek's daughter, Simone, and maybe get her to bring you to the back. There should be a recent picture of her in there. By the way you won't be wearing an earwig, just in case one of the women get close enough to see it. But we'll be able to hear you through the microphone in your watch."

Chuck was thumbing through the sheets when he came across her picture. "Wow." Instantly he felt an icy cold stare on his back coming from Sarah's direction. Trying to recover, he said "Wow, she isn't anywhere near as gorgeous as Sarah." He turned and once again gave her the smile that he knew could get him out of trouble.

Her annoyance dissipating, Sarah said "You know that smile won't protect you forever, right?"

"As long as I'm safe now" Chuck laughed.

"I've also included some information about her hobbies and pastimes. Should help with a conversation starter" shouted Casey from the other room.

Chuck just stood there for a moment pondering how he was going to do this. Although he did prove that he knew how to seduce someone, he didn't think he could seduce anyone but Sarah.

Sarah, noticing the confusion in his eyes, asked him "Problems, Chuck?"

"Well I was just trying to figure out how to do this. I don't think what I did at the club last night would be of any help unless they have a piano there. And most of my plan was mainly aimed at getting you." Chuck stood there again, deep in thought. "Should I pretend I'm a player and try to sweep her off her feet? Or should I play hard to get and hope that she takes the bait?"

"Don't worry Chuck. Just do what you think is right and it should work out" Sarah offered.

Casey added "You could always go with your standby plan."

Chuck raised an eyebrow showing his confusion.

"You know, your standby plan. The one where you waste weeks pining over a woman you barely know until you finally get the guts to tell her how you feel, but then only to find out her dead ex-boyfriend came back to life and wants to whisk her away to parts unknown. But miraculously and against all common sense, she chooses you over him and decides to stay and be friends. Then as your brilliant final move, you lock yourself in a room full of deadly gas and force her to admit that she has the same feelings for you too. You survive the gas and the story ends happily ever after. That standby plan."

Chuck just stood there with his mouth wide open, while Sarah crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Or you could go with one of the other two. It's up to you." Casey turned around with a grin on his face.

* * *

Chuck arrived at the Malibu home of Alexander Krijchek. He stood there astounded by the unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean and by the immense size of the home on a extremely large chunk of California hillside.

Casey had arrived an hour earlier along with the rest of the wait staff, which Chuck enjoyed ribbing him about. In order to avoid suspicion, Sarah had arrived alone by limo. Since she was going as a wealthy single woman looking to bid at the auction, she had to play the part. To her dismay, Chuck took her Porsche and planned to arrive 10 minutes after her.

Chuck walked into the main ballroom of the mansion and took in the scene. People mingling about, cocktails in hand. A stage in the far wall with a 10 or so piece orchestra providing the music. Quickly scanning and orienting himself, he saw Casey at the bar and Sarah nearby sitting at a table alone. He barely looked at them to avoid anyone noticing their connection.

"Mr. Carmichael?"

Chuck turned around to see a short brunette. "Yes, call me Charles."

"Hello Charles, I'm Emma Johnson. I'm the coordinator for this fundraiser. Thank you for coming tonight."

"It's no problem. I'm a major supporter of Mr. Krijchek and all his endeavors for the planet."

"I'm sure he appreciates your efforts as well. I assume you still want to participate in the bachelor auction later?"

"But of course, anything to help out."

"That's great, there seems to be more ladies than bachelors here tonight so the bidding will be fierce."

"I hope I survive then" Chuck joked.

"Don't worry sir, you seem to already have made an impression" said Emma while looking around them.

Chuck looked up and saw random women looking at him up and down. Some of them were a little bit old for his taste but nonetheless he enjoyed the attention. "What do I need to do?"

Reaching into her bag, Emma said "Just wear this band around your arm. It lets the bidders know that you're up on the auction block. Other than that we ask that you mingle around and talk to as many people as you can and enjoy yourself."

"Thanks Emma. I'm sure I will."

Sarah watched from her table as Chuck mingled around the room, talking to random women who seemed eager for his attention. _If one more woman touches his butt, I swear..._

Casey was behind the bar, amused at the spectacle taking place. Cold, hard CIA agent Walker was totally jealous at the advances the other women were making on Chuck. Although entertaining, he decided he should do something about it before it messes up the mission.

"Long Island ice tea for the lady" said Casey as he placed her drink on the table.

"I didn't order anything" Sarah grunted while never taking her eyes off of Chuck.

"I know you didn't. I was hoping you would take it anyways so it would cool your head down before it sets off the fire sprinklers."

"What did you say?"

"I said that you're obviously jealous of those women and its interrupting our work. I understand though, it feels different when you're on the other end watching the action instead of part of it."

Sarah looked up at Casey, not getting his point.

"I mean, you never felt what Chuck felt when he watched you get close to Lon Kirk. Now you do. Not fun is it?"

She understood what he meant. She previously explained her actions of trying to get close to a mark as being part of the job, something that had to be done for the greater good. At this moment though, Sarah didn't care about the greater good; she cared about the women who were batting their eyelashes and flirting with her Chuck.

_Since when did I become the Dr. Phil of team Chuck?_

"Listen up Walker; let me put your mind at ease. You see what Chuck's doing with his hands?" Casey and Sarah both turned to look at Chuck.

"Yeah, he's gesturing. So what?"

"Well I guess you haven't noticed before but Chuck only uses those wild gestures when he's nervous or in a situation he's uncomfortable with. I'm guessing its not nervousness because he knows he has you here watching over him. So I'm going with discomfort."

Sarah nodded to show that she understood. Chuck wasn't happy with the situation either and was just enduring it for the mission.

"Good, now relax and let's get on with it." Casey returned to his spot behind the bar, leaving Sarah to continue the job at hand.

She looked back to Chuck and noticed that Simone Krijchek was now talking with him. She was all over him; touching his hand, rubbing his shoulders, putting her hand on his chest. Sarah had to repeat what she just learned from Casey in order to prevent herself from throwing a knife there right now. One element of solace for her was the fact that she saw Chuck gesturing even more wildly.

Sarah listened in on their conversation through his bugged watch and heard Chuck calmly playing the part of the wealthy bachelor. A smile grew on her face as she remembered her first undercover mission with him; trying to apprehend La Cuidad in the middle of an art auction. He seemed so out of place and nervous, as if he couldn't be anyone else but Chuck. But now, he was smooth and sure of himself and his cover. If she didn't know he was undercover, she would've been fooled too.

Another thing that amazed her was his focus; every once and a while he would quickly speak into his drink, revealing another buyer's name. Normally Chuck would freak out whenever he flashed on a bad guy, but now she would be hard press to see any change in character. Sarah sighed as she wondered if it was such a good thing to see him become more agent-like.

Chuck moved away from Simone, obviously playing hard to get and it was working. She pouted when he left and now was just standing there waiting for his return.

Taking the seat next to Sarah, Chuck asked "It's not right that a lovely lady like you is here all alone."

Sarah saw that he was still portraying Carmichael and said "I prefer to shop for my bachelors from afar."

Chuck put his hand out. "I'm Charles and you are?"

"Sarah."

"Beautiful name, Sarah."

"Shouldn't you be mingling around Charles? The ladies look pretty annoyed that you're spending time here with me."

Chuck looked around the room and looked back at Sarah's face. "Other ladies? Here I thought it was just you and I in the room."

She laughed, remembering that he used the same exact pick up line on her last night. "Does that corny line ever work?" Sarah laughed.

"Yeah, it did last night. It got me all I wanted and more" replied Chuck as he gave her an evil smile.

Sarah shook her head, "Don't think that it'll work on me."

"We'll see Sarah. We'll see tonight." With that Chuck stood up and excused himself. He noticed he left Simone too long and now she seemed angry. "Back into the den of lions."

"More cougars than lions I believe" said Sarah as she watched Chuck walk away.

After some more flirting with Simone, the time finally came for bachelor auction. The interested women all congregated into the center of the ballroom, facing the stage. Sarah joined them, choosing to stick to the back of the crowd.

Several men were auctioned off and next up was Chuck. As he took the stage, the auctioneer started the bidding at 5 thousand dollars. Quickly hands were raised and the bid was upped to 10, then to 15, and then 25. Chuck stood there amazed that the bidding was going this well. _They must seriously be desperate for a guy to be bidding on me like that._

Simone had stayed out of the bidding so far but now found the chance to interrupt. "50 thousand" she shouted towards the stage. Instantly all the heads turned to face her.

"I have 50 thousand for Charles Carmichael. Remember ladies he's the owner of a new and upcoming software company. Quite a steal at 50. Do I have 55?" said the auctioneer.

An older woman raised her hand and shouted "55."

Sarah observed an annoyed look come over Simone's face. Apparently she was accustomed to not getting what she wanted.

"65" said Simone.

"The bid is now at 65. Do I have 70?"

"70" the older woman shouted.

"I raise it to 85 then" replied Simone. She noticed that the older woman was backing down.

The auctioneer looked around and noticed that the price was higher than what the other men were going for. Seeing no interest in the women, he said "I have 85 going once."

Sarah looked up and shouted towards the stage, "100 thousand."

Chuck was totally shocked. He thought that it was part of the plan for Simone to win the bidding. But the look on Sarah's face told him that she wasn't letting him go that easily. _Oh man, Sarah's a highly trained agent and apparently is jealous as well. Not a good combo for Chuck._ Not that he would ever do anything to make her jealous of course.

Simone now turned and faced Sarah and gave her response, "120."

"140 thousand."

"Let's end this quickly ok?" Simone stated. "200 thousand."

Sarah let out a gasp. Although she was supposed to let Simone win, she didn't think that she would escalate things like that. She was done; she only had 150 thousand given to her by the CIA for the mission.

The auctioneer, amazed at the amount, pointed to Simone. "At 200 thousand dollars, Miss Simone Krijchek has won the auction for a date with Mr. Charles Carmichael."

As he walking towards Simone, Chuck couldn't help but notice the annoyance evident on Sarah's face. _Ok, something else to keep in mind. Agent Walker doesn't like losing. Remember this next time you challenge her to Rock Band._

"200 thousand? Are you sure that I'm worth that much Simone?" Chuck asked. "Sure, I'm funny but not 200 thou funny."

Simone looked him up and down. "I think you are. I was bidding for the whole package anyways."

Chuck gulped.

"Let's head to the back and find somewhere more private. I'd like to get better acquainted with you, Charles."

"Of course. Lead the way."

Sarah watched Chuck follow Simone through one of the back doors into the inner parts of the home.

Casey walked up to her, "I'm glad to see you actually held it together. Although I was worried there during the auction; if you had actually won, we would be having a harder time trying to get any sort of info."

"I didn't want her getting him without a fight. That's all."

Chuck found himself walking through a large majestic hallway with various items and pieces from Krijchek's travels displayed on the walls. He was trying to figure out a way to get to a computer or at least a library so he could get the chance to find some info.

"Let's try dad's study. It's always quiet and no one will bother us in there" said Simone with a wink.

_Ok, too easy._ He looked over to Simone, "Sounds good to me."

As she opened the door, several men turned around with a surprised look on their faces. In the corner were gas canisters about the size of scuba tanks. Chuck's eyes glazed over as images flashed over his mind's eye. The brown haired man with the handlebar mustache was Joseph Wright, head of a particularly violent militia. As documents revealed themselves in his memory, he learned that tensions have been running high between them and the local government in Roswell, New Mexico. Things have escalated in recent weeks as many militia members were arrested during drug and gun raids. The last document obtained through NSA sources shocked Chuck the most. The leaders of the militia were making inquiries concerning the purchase of canisters of ricin gas and were planning to use it to announce their presence to the world within the coming weeks.

Although to Chuck it felt like minutes while he flashed, in actuality it was no more than a few seconds and he was able to continue in his cover without anyone the wiser. Seeing the concern in the eyes of the men, he knew he had to divert suspicion or end up being caught. "Simone, you never told me that you and your father scuba dived" Chuck asked as he turned to face her. "It is one of my favorite things to do whenever I leave the country."

Simone looked confused and stated "I haven't done any yet and I didn't know you were interested in it dad."

Krijchek initially had a look of concern but it dissipated after Chuck's scuba statement. "I haven't gone yet either. But my friends here are doing their best to convince me to go. I'm sorry Simone; you haven't introduced me to your friend yet."

Chuck extended his hand. "Forgive me sir for my lack of manners. My name is Charles Carmichael. I was one of the lucky men auctioned off tonight at your fundraiser."

"Carmichael, of course. Emma had told me a lot about you. She said something about you being charge of a biotech start up?"

"Actually it's a software start up. SLW Games." Realizing that the situation needed to be resolved immediately, Chuck placed his hands behind his back and started tapping on his watch.

Outside, still in the ballroom, Casey and Sarah were on the verge of breaking in the door after they heard the conversation over the watch microphone. But the sudden sounds of tapping stopped Casey in his tracks.

"Walker, do you hear that tapping?"

"Yeah, must be some sort of interference."

"No, its Morse code actually. From Chuck. I'm a bit rusty but let's see." Casey's eyes glazed over as he listened to the series of dots and dashes come over their earpieces. "Situation under control...Call reinforcements to capture militia...No time to wait...Deadly gas on premise...Over."

"Is that all he said?"

"Yeah, we need to make some calls now."

Krijchek looked over to Chuck and motioned for him to have a seat. "Please Mr. Carmichael. Have a seat. I'll finish my business with these gentlemen and we can talk about how you can help me with my humanitarian endeavors."

"Thank you." As he sat down next to Simone, he realized that it had be almost 15 minutes since he tapped out the message to Casey and Sarah. _It should be going down pretty soon, I hope._

Just as he started to relax, Chuck saw that Krijchek received a phone call and that his reaction to the message was anything but happy. "Give me a minute; I need to take this outside."

Chuck watched as Krijchek and his bodyguards as well as Joseph Wright and his posse walked out the only door to the room. On his way out, he observed Krijchek giving a nod to the two men left behind. _Must be starting_.

The agents from the NSA had arrived and all exits were secured within minutes. Casey took the lead and followed Krijchek and Wright after they saw them leave the room. He motioned to Sarah to continue searching for Chuck within the rooms accessed by the hallway.

She came up to the first two rooms and found no one inside. Finally coming up to the room where Krijchek and his associates just left, she slowly turned the doorknob. Just as she opened the door, she heard the sound of two large objects hitting the ground. She quickly rushed in and found Chuck standing over two large men. She picked up two guns that she assumed to belong to the two men, "What happened Chuck?"

"They heard you coming in and were about to fire. I couldn't let you get hurt, so I took them out."

Surprise and confusion was painted all over Sarah's face. "Wait, you took them out? You?"

"Yes, don't act so surprised. I watched you and Bryce fight those Fulcrum guys in the Buymore remember? I just did what I saw you guys did back then."

Sarah shook her head. "Sorry, you just surprised me there. I didn't think you had it in you." She couldn't believe that Chuck was able to take down two men with moves he learned by watching what she and Bryce did one time. She would have to remember to explore this more later.

"Like I said before, it's relatively easy when it's for someone you love."

As they walked out of the room, Simone was left alone on the sofa. "Daddy?"

* * *

"Good job people" said Director Graham from the monitor in Casey's apartment. "Although I do recall this being tasked as strictly recon, the circumstances dictated otherwise. Major Casey was able to follow Krijchek and apprehended him while in company of Joseph Wright. In doing so, countless number of people were saved from possible ricin attack."

Chuck looked around and smiled at his team mates.

Not wanting to be left out, General Beckman added "Also good job Bartowski on the decision to call in reinforcements. That kind of threat could not be left unattended for along. I'm amazed, it seems working with these two has boosted your confidence a bit."

Chuck smiled back "Just trying to do my part as a special agent."

Graham moved back to the screen. "About that. Your paperwork has gone through and from this point on you will be employed by the CIA. You will receive the same pay and benefits as those in the agency."

"Great, I get a paycheck" laughed Chuck.

Graham winced. "Sorry, I didn't mention this but for now your paycheck will be put into a CIA controlled bank account. Since you still technically undercover, there cannot be evidence that you are working for anyone else other than Buymore. Also you will have to avoid using the money in front of family and friends since they will also see the change. Sorry Bartowski."

"So I get paid by the government but I can't access any of the money? Isn't that the same as not getting paid?"

"We didn't say you couldn't use it. Just that you couldn't use it in anyway that breaks your cover. That's all. Dismissed."

"Agent Walker, please stay for a minute" asked Graham.

Chuck and Casey looked at each other confused as they walked out.

As soon as the other two team mates left the room, Sarah said "I'm alone sir."

"I understand that you're about ready to move in with Bartowski."

"Yes sir. Next week."

"And things are going well?"

Sarah couldn't understand the line of questions, but answered "Yes, our cover is strong. No one suspects."

"No, I meant between you and Bartowski personally."

"Excuse me?"

"Walker, it has been obvious to both myself and General Beckman that there has been more to you two than cover. Although normally we would have put a quash to this sort of relationship, the effectiveness of this team, specifically your effectiveness, has not diminished but actually increased."

"Why are you telling me this sir?"

"To prevent any future complications from arising due to you feeling the need to hide it from us. As long as you don't go parading around love struck high school students and you complete the missions as well as your team has been doing, there will be no problems with us. I understand there will be certain types missions you will be averse to, but I have a feeling you will work those out on your own."

Before signing off, Graham added "And Sarah. Be careful. Even though he's been made an agent, Bartowski is still technically a civilian. He might not understand all that you've done."

Sarah's head was now spinning. The CIA and NSA just gave her clearance to continue her relationship with Chuck. "Thank you sir. I appreciate your trust in me."

The monitor switched off and Sarah quickly exited the apartment to find Chuck and Casey talking by the fountain. She walked as quickly as she could without running up to Chuck. Still in the middle of a sentence Sarah placed both hands on the sides of his head and gave him a deep kiss. Casey looked in shock as Chuck and Sarah continued their lip lock. Finally breaking contact, Sarah took Chuck by the hand, who was still recovering from the kiss and led him quickly to her car.

Casey finally asked "Walker what's going on?"

With an evil grin, she replied "I'm having Chuck personally check that the carpet matches the drapes."

* * *

A/N: Sorry if I just mashed all these themes and ideas together. I just normally write what's on my mind at the moment.


End file.
